Reading assessment methods for middle‐school students: An investigation of reading comprehension rate and Maze accurate response rate

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the validity of four different aloud reading comprehension assessment measures: Maze, comprehension questions, Maze accurate response rate (MARR), and reading comprehension rate (RCR). The criterion measures used in this study were the Woodcock -Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III ACH) Broad Reading Cluster Score and words correct per minute (WCPM). Pearson Product Correlations and linear regression were used to investigate possible relationships between Maze comprehension level (accuracy), comprehension question level (accuracy), MARR, RCR, WCPM, and the Broad Reading Cluster Score of the WJ-III ACH. Participants were sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students from a middle school located in the Southeastern United States. Significant correlations were found between each of the reading comprehension assessment variables (WCPM, MARR, RCR, Maze comprehension level, and comprehension question level) and the WJ-III ACH Broad Reading Cluster Score. MARR and RCR represented the strongest correlations when compared to the other variables. Results from a linear regression analysis indicated that RCR was the best predictor of the criterion variable (WJ-III). Implications for future research and applied practice are discussed. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Response-to-Intervention Model of Service Delivery

The Utility of Maze Accurate Response Rate in Assessing Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

“…These results differed slightly from the initial investigation of this newly developed measure. Although Hale et al () found MARR as having predictive capabilities, RCR emerged as a more significant predictor of reading achievement in their analyses. RCR did not significantly predict WJ III Broad Reading in any regression analyses performed as part of this study.…”

“…Thus, further investigation of the utility of MARR as a potential measure of reading comprehension, particularly for middle and high school students, was warranted by these results. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the study by Hale et al (2011b) with a sample of upper elementary (UES) and MS students. Specifically, the potential utility of the MARR assessment method was investigated as compared to other RCBMs including WCPM, CQC, RCR, and MCR.…”

“…MARR was also calculated and included in the analysis. Results from Hale et al () indicated that MARR and RCR emerged as stronger predictors of reading achievement as compared to CQC, MCR, and WCPM. Thus, further investigation of the utility of MARR as a potential measure of reading comprehension, particularly for middle and high school students, was warranted by these results.…”

“…Despite this demonstrated link between reading fluency and overall reading achievement, the face validity of this assessment tool is low in that many educators do not perceive typically used RCBM scores to be strong indicators of reading comprehension and, thus, may not use these tools (Hale et al, 2011b). Another characteristic of reading fluency measures that impacts accuracy of usage is that their utility decreases at higher levels as students' reading skills increase (Espin & Foegen, 1996;Hale et al, 2011b;Hintze & Shapiro, 1997;Skinner et al, 2002).…”

Can We Learn From Student Mistakes in a Formative, Reading Comprehension Assessment?

“…The National Reading Panel (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002) defined fluency in terms of accuracy, appropriate rate, and good expression. Although the definition refers to appropriate rate, rather than a fast rate per se, measures of fluency use scores such as correct words per minute in which faster is better, other things being equal (e.g., Cianco, Thompson, Schall, Skinner, & Foorman, 2015;Hale et al, 2011;McCane-Bowling, Strait, Guess, Wiedo, & Muncie, 2014;Skinner et al, 2009;Skinner, Neddenriep, Bradley-Klug, & Ziemann, 2002). As a result, we are interested in whether response rate on comprehension items answered correctly can be used to monitor progress in attaining automaticity.…”